I'm Not Graduating
by Christine Writer
Summary: What if Jess told Rory he wasn't graduating? JessRory, etc.
1. I'm Not Graduating

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Summary: What if Jess had told Rory that he wasn't graduating?

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Rory and Jess sat in Luke's Diner, sharing a basket of fries. Rory was concerned about Jess. He'd been acting moody all night. "Okay," she said aloud. "What's the matter?"

"Huh?" Jess focused on Rory. "Nothing."

"Tell me. You've been acting moody all night. What's wrong?"

Something inside Jess snapped. "I missed too much school, and so they won't let me graduate. Ergo, no prom, okay?" he yelled.

Confusion filled Rory's heart. "The prom doesn't matter. We can go to Chilton's prom if you want to." she didn't understand why he was so upset about the prom. And then it hit her--he hadn't graduated. That was what was bothering him. He wasn't going to get his diploma.

"Are there options?" she asked when he was silent to her offer of the Chilton prom.

"For what?"

"For graduating? Summer school?"

"The principal said I have to repeat my whole senior year."

"Oh." Rory said quietly. "You could do that, you know. I'll only be 28 miles away."

"No, Rory!" he exploded. "I'm not repeating a year in that establishment they call a high school! I can't do that!" after a moment of silence, he got up and walked out of the diner, slamming the door behind him. Rory chased after him, and watched unbelievingly as he boarded the bus bound for JFK airport.

Then she burst into tears.


	2. Two One Way Tickets

Disclaimer: I Own NOTHING.

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As Jess sat on the bus, he couldn't believe what he'd just done. He'd yelled at Rory--the Rory he loved so much his heart was tearing apart just thinking about what he'd done. For a moment, he seethed. Why couldn't Rory see that he couldn't do that? That he couldn't repeat his senior year? But then he remembered how she had tried to help. She had tried to make everything better, and he had exploded at her for it.

Rory caught the next bus to JFK Airport. Jess wasn't going to leave without everything right between them. As she rode the bus, she thought about Jess. She knew he was a very touchy person at times, and extremely self reliant, but she loved him. This much she was sure of. But she also knew that loving Jess was a very hard thing to do. Her heart shattered thinking of the look on his face as he left. Anger and frustration were dominant, but his face also displayed a disappointment. In himself? Rory wondered. Or in her? Was she being more of a fester than a salve?

Jess went to the ticket kiosk and ordered a ticket, drawing money directly from his bank account. He would go to California--to be with Jimmy, he guessed. That was his reason. The fact that California was three thousand miles away from Connecticut, and thus, Rory, was simply an added bonus.

Rory entered the airport, looking everywhere and anywhere for Jess. She saw him at the security gate for Southwest Airlines. He was being detained because he carried no luggage--a red flag for tagging terror suspects. She realized she would be conspicuous as well, because she had no luggage either. She looked in her wallet. She had a twenty and a ten. She went to the kiosk, bought a ticket to California, and saw that she had little more than an hour to make it through security and onto the plane.

She went into the nearest store and bought a toothbrush, toothpaste, a shoulder bag, candy, a newspaper, and an "I Heart NY" shirt. She packed her purchases carefully into the bag, and walked through security.

Jess looked up from his newspaper for a moment, feeling like someone was watching him. Someone was. "Rory?" he exclaimed as she took a seat next to him in the waiting area. "What are you doing here?"

"I bought a ticket, Jess. I couldn't let you go without making up. I'm so sorry, Jess."

"For what?" Jess asked. Rory hadn't done anything.

"For trying to fix things. I know you need a listener, not a fixer." Jess was the kind of person who needed someone to listen when he ranted, but he had to fix all of his problems by himself. He nodded.

"I'm sorry, too. I was a total jerk, and I'm so sorry." Jess apologized. Rory smiled.

"Apology accepted." she said.

"We are now boarding flight 634 to Los Angeles International, rows one through eight." the loudspeaker blared over the din of the airport. Jess glanced at his ticket.

"Well, that's me. Row seven." he said. "Is everything okay?"

Rory shook her head. "No--I love you and I'm not letting you go." she said, tears rolling down her cheeks. She leaned over, and kissed Jess gently. "I love you, Jess!"

"I love you too, Rory." he said, their faces inches apart. Then they kissed again.

We have two one way tickets to California." Rory said. "What should we do with them?"

"You mean you can't just go to California with me?" Jess deadpanned.

"I could, but that would mean missing school. Not a good idea during senior year." the words escaped almost of their own power, and Rory's face flushed. "Not the best choice of words." she said softly.

"No, but that's okay." Jess said. "It's okay. So you wasted a couple hundred dollars--I'll reimburse you."

Rory's breathing sped up as a thought occured to her. "It's Thursday. I have no school tomorrow--conferences--so that gives us until Sunday. All of my homework is done."

Jess looked at her. "You mean you'll come?"

"Sure. Let me call my mom. She and Luke need to know."

Rory called her mother, who told Luke, and the whole town heard about it from Patty. By sundown, however, it was a very different tale. Whispering down the lanes of Stars Hollow mangled the truth beyond recognition--and by the time Dean heard about it, Rory and Jess had eloped to California.

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What is Dean going to do? Can he even be mad? He broke up with Rory, not vice versa. And has Lane heard? Tune in next month...just kidding. I'll try to update soon. 


	3. I Don't Belong

Okay, so one month later, I am updating. How funny is that?

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Dean was stocking shelves at Doose's when he heard the news. Two townies were gossipping next to the soda pop display, and as he heard what they were talking about, it seemed fitting that they were standing there.

"So did you hear about Rory?"

"No--I haven't seen her in a few days. Is she up at her grandparents'?"

"No--that's the scandal! She has gone off to California with that Jess character!"

"What? What did she do that for?"

"I don't know. You didn't hear it from me, but a little birdy told me that they just up and eloped!"

Dean's blood ran cold. Was that legal? He supposed so, since Jess was over eighteen and Rory had just turned eighteen. He just couldn't believe that Rory would throw her dreams of Yale away for Jess. It couldn't be true.

Meanwhile, Luke and Loralei were discussing what, if anything, should be done.

Luke was concerned for Rory's well being more than he was about that of Jess. "Anything could happen to her out in L.A." Luke exclaimed. "Especially around guys like Jimmy!"

"What happened between you and Jimmy? Besides that he hurt Liz and took off without a word." Loralei wanted to know, before she could pass any judgement about the situation, why Jimmy was a thorn in Luke's side.

"He was never a stable guy. He would drink and smoke incessantly, and he was really possessive of Liz. He felt that her family shouldn't be involved in her life." Luke laughed sarcastically. "Well, look what he's done now. He's taken Jess off the track to graduation that we worked so hard for. And now, Jess has dragged Rory down, too. She has what, three weeks before graduation? She needs to be here, and not out in California with Jess!"

"Look, Luke," Loralei laid a hand on his forearm. "Rory has a long weekend break. She'll be back for school, I'm sure."

"What if she doesn't?"

The thought had crossed Loralei's mind many times, but she had to dismiss it for Luke's sake. "She will." she tried to sound confident, but failed miserably.

Meanwhile, Jess and Rory were settling into Jimmy's place. Sasha, Jimmy's girlfriend, had been surprised when Jess showed up with his girlfriend. Jimmy had told her once about Jess, but he'd been slightly drunk and she hadn't known to trust him that it was true.

"This is my daughter," she had introduced Jess and Rory to a serious child of about nine, thick book in hand. "Lily." she finished. "Lily, this is Jimmy's son, Jess, and Jess's girlfriend, Rory." Lily had looked up for a moment, nodded, and promptly enclosed herself, along with her flashlight, into her clothes cupboard.

"She does that a lot," Sasha had explained. "She gets it from her father."

Rory and Jess had nodded. Then, Sasha had set a trundle bed up in Lily's room for Rory, and offered Jess the couch in the living room. All slept peacefully that night, except for Jess. What had he been thinking? He would have been stupid to think in leaving Stars Hollow, he would leave Rory. So now, three weeks before her graduation, he had dragged her out to California. Sure, she had gone along, but if he hadn't left, then she would never have followed him.

Jess also knew that though Jimmy had seemed welcoming, it was really Sasha's hospitality that masked Jimmy's reluctance. He had told Jess to come out to California anytime, but Jess now knew that it was just talk. Jimmy didn't really want him. He just didn't want Liz or Luke to have him.

In the morning, after breakfast, Jess thanked Sasha and Lily and he and Rory left. "It's only Saturday, Jess." Rory said on the way to the airport. "We don't have to go."

"Yes, we do." he said. "Not only because everyone in Stars Hollow will be worried about you, but also because I belong in Connecticut, not here."

Rory smiled. Jess was himself again, and they were going home.

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How did you like that? Everything's going to be fine...except that the whole town thinks that they eloped. Hmmmm... 


	4. I'm Sorry

So sorry for not updating! My mom thought I was getting too fixated with fanfiction and grounded me from writing any stories for a week, so no updates until now. Thanks for all of the encouraging reviews. Enjoy!

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Lorelai was actually doing the dishes when the phone rang of Saturday afternoon. She'd had nothing to do since Rory had gone to California, and had turned to household chores to fill the void in her heart.

As the phone rang urgently, Lorelai considered allowing the call to go to voicemail, and after a moment of thought, did just that.

Unfortunately, it was Rory on the other end, and she didn't leave a message. She and Jess were waiting at the airport, hoping that they wouldn't have to spend even more money on bus fares to Stars Hollow. Rory checked her wallet, hoping that somehow, magically, money had grown inside her wallet. Nothing.

Her heart sank as she saw that her cell phone's battery was almost dead. She quickly decided that she had one more number to try. She pressed the proper speedial, and waited as the call went through.

"Hello?" a timid voice answered on the other end.

"Hello, this is Rory Gilmore. Is Emily or Richard there?"

"Yes." the maid replied. "I will get Mr. Gilmore."

After what seemed like an eternity to someone with a dying cell phone battery, Richard picked up the phone line.

"Hello?" he said.

"Hi, Grandpa."

"Rory! What a pleasant surprise! The maid didn't tell me that it was you calling. What can I do for you, Rory?" he asked.

"I'm at Hartford International with Jess." Rory stated matter of factly, hoping her waning battery would hold up. "Could you come pick us up? We're at the bus--" Rory's phone died, and she hoped that he would come.

Fifteen minutes later, Richard pulled up to the bus depot. "I'm sorry; my phone died and--" Rory began to explain, but Richard held his hand up.

"It's quite all right, Rory." he said kindly. "What you can explain to me is how you expect me to explain to your grandmother the real reason why you weren't at dinner last night."

Rory and Jess seated themselves in the backseat of the Jaguar. "What did my mom tell you?" she asked.

"That you were at a high school gathering with friends from Chilton."

"Did Grandma believe that?"

"She seemed to. Either that, or she felt that believing that for one evening would be easier than prying the truth out of your mother."

Soon, the reached the interstate and headed toward Stars Hollow.

"I'll tell Grandma the truth. I'll call her on the phone tonight." Rory promised her grandfather as they pulled into Stars Hollow. They drove past the diner, seeing Ceaser, but no Luke. Richard pulled into the Gilmore driveway and idled long enough to deposit Jess and Rory onto the front yard.

Lorelai heard the car in the drive and wondered who it could be. Luke was in the kitchen, fixing dinner, so that ruled out Luke and any of the takeout services she and Rory used.

She looked out through the glass window in the door and was surprised to see her father's Jaguar. She was even more surprised to see Rory emerging from the backseat! She threw open the door and ran to meet her daughter halfway.

Rory began crying as she and Lorelai embraced. It felt so good to be home!

"It's good to have you home." Lorelai said into Rory's chestnut locks, as if she'd read her daughter's mind.

"Hey," Lorelai broke the embrace to look Rory in the eye. "What's wrong? Did something happen with Jess?"

Rory now realized that Jess hadn't spoken at all, since before they had landed in Connecticut. But still, she didn't look around for him.

"No, nothing happened with Jess. It's just...I'm so sorry!" Rory's tears renewed themselves. "I know how worried you must have been, and then I thought you were angry because I called and you didn't answer..."

"So you called Grandpa." Lorelai finished.

"Was that wrong?"

"Not really; it's just that now he knows why you weren't at dinner last night, and believe me--a high school party with Chilton people looks a lot better to my mother than you running off to California with your boyfriend for two days does."

"I'm sorry. Jess and I didn't have money for the bus fare, and--"

"Speaking of the devil--I mean Jess-" Lorelai said sweetly, "where is he?" Rory turned around. Jess, it seemed, had left when the Jaguar had.

"He must be down at the bridge." Rory realized. "I'll go--"

"No, let me go get him." Lorelai said.

"Do you promise not to yell at him?"

"Yes, I promise." Lorelai set off on foot for the bridge. "You can go surprise Luke!"

Jess was sitting on the bridge with his legs dangling over the side. He heard Lorelai approaching and stood to meet her. "Sit." she instructed. They both did.

"I want to know just two things, Jess. I want to know why you left, and why you came back."

"I left because...I didn't know how Luke would react."

"He was fine, if you meant the whole diploma thing."

"Yeah. As for coming back, you can thank Jimmy for that. He didn't want me, so I came back here."

"Smart choice, considering that my daughter follows you everywhere--first to New York, and now to California."

"I'm sorry." Jess looked like he was very sorry, and Lorelai's heart went out to him.

"Everyone makes mistakes." Lorelai said gently. "Whether or not you run from them is a different matter."

Both were silent for a moment, and then they stood. "Luke is making dinner." Lorelai said. "Are you hungry?"


	5. The End

In the next months, Rory helped Jess study to take the SATs and his GED. They worked for the GED all summer, until Jess took it in the fall. He passed with flying colors, and Rory went to Richard one day in September with a request. 

"I know you are paying for my Yale education, but I would like to ask you for money for Jess's education as well.

"It would be a smaller fee, of course, because Jess can get scholarships." Rory finished. Emily and Richard agreed, but Jess ended up receiving a full scholarship for all four years.

Jess and Rory graduated from Yale in the spring of 2007 with highest honors in journalism. They joined the campaign trail on behalf of Ron Paul, and were married that Christmas.

THE END

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A/N: I hope very much you all have enjoyed this story, and please read all of my other stories about Rory and Jess.


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